Place all ingredients except cherries in blender. Cover and blend on high speed about 45 seconds or until smooth.

Pour pineapple mixture into glasses. Garnish with cherry.

ENJOY!!

Kwegyirba Croffie is a freelance Associate Producer at News 12 Connecticut and a Special Events/Event Planning and Social Media Intern at College Lifestyles (TM). She is a Quinnipiac University alumni and a sister of Alpha Delta Pi. She enjoy cupcakes,Broadway musicals, Forever 21 ,giraffes, peacock feathers, orchids, lillies and anything Disney.

*This will make more filling/frosting than you actually need for this recipe (about 1 cup extra). You could reduce to 2/3 or simply save for another use.

To make the caramel sauce, spread the sugar out in an even layer in a medium skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Once the sugar starts to liquefy around the edges, stir it gently with a spatula towards the center. Continue stirring gently until all of the sugar is melted and no hard bits remain.

Once the caramel reaches a deep amber color, remove it from the heat. (If you are using a dark pan, test a drop on a white plate or towel so you can accurately assess the color.)

Off the heat, carefully whisk in half of the coconut cream. The mixture will bubble and steam violently. Stir until the coconut cream is thoroughly combined, then whisk in the remaining coconut cream.

Some of the sugar will likely have clumped up around the whisk. Return the pan to medium-low heat and continue to whisk gently until everything is melted and smooth. Stir in the salt and vanilla. Remove from the heat and let cool. (This sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and reheated.)

To make the cookies, preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, combine the gluten free flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; whisk to blend, and set aside. In a small bowl, combine the mashed banana and sour cream.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the vegan butter and sugars on medium high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Blend in the egg and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients in three additions alternating with the banana mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix each addition just until incorporated.

Pipe the batter using a plain round tip onto the prepared baking sheets into 1¼-inch rounds, spacing a couple of inches apart. Bake until the cookies are just set and the bottom edges are starting to brown, about 10-12 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheets 5-10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the filling, combine the egg whites and sugar in a large heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Heat the mixture, whisking very frequently, until the sugar is completely dissolved and reaches 160° F on an instant read thermometer. Transfer the mixture to the clean, dry bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until the mixture holds stiff peaks. Reduce the speed to medium low, add in the salt and begin adding the vegan butter one piece at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in ½ cup of the cooled caramel sauce until well blended.

Once the cookies are completely cooled, match them up in pairs by size. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip with the caramel filling. Pipe a dollop of filling onto the flat side of one cookie of each pair, and sandwich the cookies together, pushing the filling to the edges. Store in an airtight container.

I am not a big coffee drink. Every time I go to Starbucks, my usual drinks are the Caramel Apple Spice (no whip) when it is chilly outside, or any one of the Shaken Tea Lemonades. Before becoming dairy free, I would get the occasional Vanilla Bean Frappuccino or Caramel Frappuccino. But now, I cannot have those dairy drinks. Yes I am aware that Starbucks offers soy milk as a substitution but soy milk makes my mouth feel funny and I just don’t like that taste. So, how do I get the occasional Starbucks quality drink without the barista? AND with the dairy free milk I like? Become an at home barista and make something myself!

Vanilla Coconut Cream Latte

With undertones of maple, and a hint of spice, this latte is soft and fragrant with a tropical vanilla-coconut essence.

First, we must have the Coconut Milk Whipped Creme!

Coconut Milk Whipped Cream

1 can full-fat coconut milk, chilled in fridge overnight

2 tablespoons powdered/confectioners sugar

1 beater OR whipping cream dispenser

Open coconut milk. Scoop the firmed top of the coconut milk into a bowl. Try to avoid the light watery liquid and just scoop the thick white stuff.

Fold the confectioners sugar into the coconut milk. Smoothing out the clumps.

With a beater, beat the mixture until fluffy enough for spooning. OR if you have a whipping cream dispenser – use this mixture as you would heavy cream.

…and getting caught in the rain. It may be a rainy Christmas in some areas so why not celebrate with a song and some piña coladas? They’re bright, fresh and white just like the first snowfall! You can pair the Coconut Cake with Snowflake Frosting with these frosty treats!